Center for Quality Assured Reuse in the Construction Sector
Uncertainty about quality, traceability and applicable regulations means that reuse in the construction and real estate industry is often rejected - despite great potential to contribute to increased resource efficiency and significant climate benefits. RISE acts as a national knowledge node and collaboration platform, where construction actors gain rapid access to expertise along the entire reuse chain - from material testing and certification to requirement setting and business development.
New legislation and ambitious climate targets mean that the construction and real estate sector is facing a major transition. Reuse is an important part of this transition, but without clear guidelines on how to handle and assess reclaimed materials, it will be difficult to integrate reuse into the construction process. At the same time, there is growing pressure from clients, legislation and society to change. Without a safe and quality-assured way of working with reuse, we lose both environmental benefits and competitiveness.
Strengthen your competitiveness with RISE
With RISE as a partner, you get a safe path through the transition - and a stronger market position. Through our expertise in testing, certification, method development and collaboration, we have laid the foundation for how reuse in the construction and real estate industry can take place in a safe and scalable way. We know what it takes to make reuse work - in practice, not just in theory. RISE helps you navigate the right requirements, material selection, quality assurance and circular business development. The result? Reduced climate impact, lower costs and a stronger brand.
Our offer
We offer testing and certification, knowledge enhancement and collaboration in research projects to drive development forward - all to support you from idea to finished solution. Here you will find more information and clear contact routes to our areas of expertise:
Services, testing and certification
RISE offers comprehensive support for reuse in the construction sector - from inventory to quality assurance and business development. Our services include:
- Quality assurance of concrete elements for reuse
- Quality assurance of other materials and products such as wood, steel, glass
- Increasing circularity in construction products and systems
- Resource mapping of construction products
- Material inventory of construction products for demolition and rebuilding
- Reuse inventory
- Environmental inventory
- Resource mapping of assets (cities and real estate companies)
- Logistics and business models - Circular Business Lab
- Certification of products and people
- Testing methodology
- Quality assurance of reclaimed construction products with functional requirements
Contact us
Do you have questions or need guidance on services, testing and certification? Contact Jan Suchorzewski, Head of Unit at RISE
Development projects
RISE runs and participates in development projects that promote sustainable construction - from idea and pilot to implementation and dissemination. Ongoing projects in construction reuse right now are:
- Återhus 3.0 - Building from buildings
- Build with better second-hand - A quality project! (only in Swedish)
- Timber on Top – circular biobased construction
Contact us
Do you have questions or ideas related to our development projects? Contact Katarina Malaga, Head of Strategic Research and Business Development at RISE
Dissemination and thought leadership
RISE offers knowledge enhancement initiatives in collaboration with industry players. We promote knowledge and dialogue in sustainable construction and adapt the content to the needs of the target group. Our efforts include, among other things:
- Workshops
- Roundtable discussions
- Presentations at seminars and conferences
- Foresight analysis
Contact us
Do you have questions about knowledge dissemination, thought leadership and other efforts around education and dialog? Contact Andreas Huss, project manager at RISE
Contact us for more information
Want to be at the forefront of circular construction? Start your journey towards quality-assured reuse - we will guide you all the way. Contact us via the contact form or get in touch directly with our contacts on this page.
Case study: Reuse of hollow concrete slabs from Ikea Kållered
When the old Ikea store in Kållered outside Gothenburg was demolished, a unique opportunity arose to test the large-scale reuse of prestressed concrete elements. In close collaboration between RISE, NCC, and Framtiden Byggutveckling, around 3,000 square meters of hollow concrete slabs (HD/F) were dismantled, quality assured, and given new life in the Kvarteret Återbruket residential district in Gothenburg.
Results and lessons learned
- Dismantling and reassembly went faster than planned.
- Lifespan assessment: up to 224 years remaining in a dry environment.
- Climate benefit: approximately 37 kg CO₂e/BTA saved compared to new construction.
- Economics benefit from modular design and minimal processing requirements.
- The project has laid the foundation for a Swedish methodology that could become standard.
Kontakta oss
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